Scaling an organisation while also considering long-term environmental, social, and economic responsibilities is a balancing act that many businesses tirelessly grapple with. While achievable, it’s a complex transformation that demands mindful action, thoughtful planning, and comes with its fair share of challenges.

To support those in the process of sustainable scaling within their organisations, we’ll be hosting a breakfast roundtable event on 10th September, led by Founder, COO, CIO and author Dax Grant, to delve into the topic of ‘Scaling with Intent: Lessons from CFC, HSBC & More’.

This session will be packed with Dax’s personal insights into successfully navigating the complexities of growth within a financial services business, alongside the practical lessons she’s learned from working with major financial institutions such as HSBC, Barclays, and CFC. We’ll also explore the guiding principles behind sustainable scaling, including technology, operations, and business strategy.

We sat down with Dax Grant ahead of the roundtable to learn more about her fascinating career, and to get a sneak peek at what attendees can expect to take away from the session.

Tell us about your background in financial services and how you got to this point in your career.

I started life in a state school and did quite well there. I got into Cambridge, and whilst I was there, I worked for IBM I wanted to learn about customers and clients, so I got involved in financial services. After IBM, I joined Barclays, where I worked on the front line. I ran a branch, ran a call centre and managed a lending portfolio; I did all of those things because I wanted to understand what it’s like in real life before implementing any technology or operational changes. I really wanted to understand what change means to people.

I stayed at Barclays for around 10 years and completed my MBA whilst there. They’re an amazing company, and I worked across retail, business, corporate, and institutional banking. I then went independent for a while, which was interesting because I got to work on some incredible deals. After that, I joined Visa, the European card payment business, where I worked on digitising their services, introducing geolocation, person-to-person payments, digital wallets, and more. I stayed there for about seven years.

Another highlight was my time at HSBC, where I was CIO for Global Operations. I looked after the technology side and was part of the executive operations team for their 69,000 employees worldwide. We undertook major digitisation efforts and transitioned everyone to working from home during lockdown.

Since then, I’ve been working with private equity firms and helping businesses grow, driving operations, technology, and increasing the valuation of firms preparing for their next stage of maturity.

What are some of the common challenges companies face when trying to grow, where they might seek advice from someone like you?

Great question. It really depends on where the company is in its journey. For some equity-backed firms, you often find a lot of incredibly creative people who build a business quickly. But once you reach the next stage, with more regulation and scrutiny, you need a broader perspective.

At that point, people often specialise in specific areas. The challenge becomes how to build the right organisation around them, how to bring the right focus, and how to initiate the right leadership conversations, especially when you're working with a larger team. The required skill sets begin to evolve. They’re not necessarily different, but they become more complex as the organisation grows and starts to structure itself. That’s a key skill to develop.

Another major consideration is regulation. As businesses grow, regulatory scrutiny increases, so getting that right is essential.

Does your approach to change depend on the size of the organisation?

 Honestly, the approach itself doesn’t change, but my assessment of where the firm is absolutely does. Think of it like being a doctor - the underlying process of diagnosing and assessing remains the same, but the prescription will vary based on the specific situation.

So, I remain attuned to the business, synthesising the data quickly, that’s something I bring to the table. But what I recommend, and how I support that growth, varies significantly depending on the maturity of the organisation.

What are the biggest factors influencing how financial organisations scale today? Has there always been a desire for rapid growth?

 In the equity-backed space, there’s always been a drive for growth. But I’d say there’s now a much greater focus on value-based growth. In previous years, businesses were scaling rapidly without necessarily turning a profit in the early stages, profitability was less of a focus.

Today, the majority of firms must focus on profitability. Of course, there are some cases where the strategy is to invest heavily in infrastructure, and that’s agreed with investors. But overall, the emphasis is shifting to growth that delivers tangible value.

In your experience, how is large-scale change received in bigger organisations?

In larger firms, you’re often dealing with different dynamics. Many of them move more slowly and have a more reserved mindset. These firms tend to be more prudent, although that’s not universally true.

You’ll often find specialists who deeply understand their specific area of the business. In contrast, people in smaller, fast-growing firms tend to have exposure across multiple functions.

So, the type of change you’re driving is different. In smaller firms, it’s about harnessing energy, bringing maturity, frameworks, leadership, and technology together. In larger organisations, it may be more about unblocking silos, rebuilding broken communication lines, and reigniting a sense of value and purpose. Either way, change is always necessary if you want to grow to the next stage.

You’ve written a book called The Entrepreneurial Quotient. What inspired you to write it?

I’ve worked with a wide variety of businesses: from multinationals like Barclays, HSBC, and Visa, to high-net-worth organisations and growth-stage firms. While there were differences, I noticed some common threads. Plus, the business landscape has changed. With digitisation, growing a business today is nothing like it was 50 years ago.

Whilst studying at Harvard Business School, I became even more interested in societal impact. It’s not just about the bottom line; it’s about strategic positioning and how your business adds value to the wider community. You must make money to stay in the game, but profit alone isn’t the end goal.

I wanted to capture all of that in a book, and I wanted it to be accessible. It’s also about legacy; something I believe should be part of every leadership conversation. We all lead at different stages in different roles, and I think it’s important to consider what legacy you want to leave.

The biggest takeaway I hope readers gain is a mindset shift around societal leadership, personal legacy, and business growth - understanding that these goals are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the leaders of tomorrow are already thinking this way, and the next generation embraces this more naturally than previous ones.

What would you like attendees to take away from the session?

I hope it opens them up to what’s possible, to see how targeted investment can unlock significantly more value. I want them to feel empowered to take the driver’s seat, to become the catalyst for growth, rather than waiting for change to happen in their organisation. Most importantly, I want them to realise how much more opportunity there is in scaling their business. They might just need a little tailored help to unlock their next stage of success. I’m really looking forward to the conversations that will come out of it.

We can’t wait to hear more from Dax during the roundtable about how organisations can scale both successfully and sustainably.

If you’re interested in learning more about the guiding principles behind sustainable scaling, and how to navigate growth within a financial services business, we still have a few spaces left for our breakfast roundtable session on Wednesday 10th September at 8:30am. Just fill in the form here, and a member of our team will be in touch with further details.